Morning journal and courier., 1887-06-03
A VIGOROUS PROTEST

At the African Methodist Conference
 Yesterday Against the Uni6cation
 TheOry-A Spirited Debate-COlored
 MethOd1sts and the Spiritual Inter.
 ests of the Colored Race-Proceed-
 ings and Reports.
 The second days session yesterday of the conference of the African Methodist Episco- pal church held in the A. M. E. Zion church on Foote street, this city, was called to or der by Bishop T. D. NJ. Ward. Devotional exercises were conducted by Professor H. T. Johnson. Reports of ministers in their respective charges during the past year being called for J. Marcus Cargill reported STE
 contributions, $1 from each member; pas tors support $1,o00, contingent S4.26,
 charitable purposes $71, educational money $16, Sunday school collections $125. The entire amount raised for the several funds amounted to $2, ,852.52.
 Elder A. W. Whaley, who had fo1ty-two | members under his charge in Chelsea ana Worcester, Mass, reported $180 raised for all purposes The prospects are good for an ir- crease in numbers and in finances under the pasto1ship of an active preacher. Several reports of an interesting character were made by J. T. Hayslett from Lynn, Isaac Grandy fron Plymouth, J. c. Brooke from New Bedford, T. G. Campbell from Lee, A. W. Upshaw from Providence and from Dr. I. T. Janifer of Boston, who
 gave yL veny .g gratifying dsSs account mt of of Charles street, Boston, church twenty thou l sand dolla15 during pastorship of six years, and otherwise reported 4 frican Methodism in most fouishing condition in the Hub. A secret session was held to transact some business, from which the public was exclud- ! d.. 1k pired. During tho report of Elder Hay lt the fact was brought out that in Lynn, Mass, the membership seemed to be conditionally loyal. This brought Dr. J. c. Embry to his feet with the question: 'Do I understE:d that there is sentiment among the people of New England holding out inducements to our people to disband as separate and inde- pendent congregations, and distribute themselves among other churches in social worship and become 8 part and parcel of them?' A rejoinder in explanation came from Dr. I. T. Janifer, who remarked that the people of African descent were not disloyal to African Metho- disM, but that they were influenced by other surrounding circumstances tending to the establishment of independent churches. To this Dr. Embry replied with impressive ef feet as follows:
 'I want right here to say as Methodist preacher one or two things on the gist of this u1abC6T. uOlO EQaE aS a LHatGoE u ldCU Luo colored people living in New England are dependent for their social life-for their future prosperity, for their continued useful
 ness upon their connection with the people
 with whom they are identified by conditions and blood. I hold that whatever may be the spirit of independence to separate them selves from the body at large, that ultimato, ly when that is accomplished-when the dispersion is accomplished they will be left to perish. Suppose they could be in- duced to set up series of congregations, l do not care what you would call them, wheth CT from our church or from any other well organized and established church; they would fail in the end, for the reason that they have not raised up ministers upon that line. These independents have never raised up nor trained ministry among the colored people for such work. It is only since the war that they have taken to the idea of es. similating the colored people, and hence they are without trained leadership. Churches destitute of efficient pastors must perish. We have been training pastors out of our weas-- ness and poverty for an hundred years, and hold that we have to-day band of trained ministers who are superior to any others in the world for teachers and pastors to the colored people. I would tell it in Boston, would declare it anywhere that no race of men can do for this people what we are doing They cannot be unified with others, on social grounds, for the reason that these people are too high, too wealthy and too cold-blooded. Left in isolation, like limb separated from the trunk, they must perish"